SLIDE 2 4/28/2014 Pizza Today - Pizza Presentation http://www.pizzatoday.com/departments/front-of-the-house/2012-december-pizza-presentation/ 2/4
The provoking stands at Regents Pizzeria in La Jolla, California, are a prime example of how a utilitarian object can set your restaurant apart. Made of repurposed and recycled industrial scrap, the stands add wit and whimsy to the pizza presentation.Commissioned from the owner’s neighbor, regents Pizzeria has seven stands, each unique from the others. “Whenever we bring out a full pizza, they make a great conversation piece,” say employee rachelle Torus. “he also made our tables and sconces; people think it’s really cool that we recycle.” Custom stands may not be the most cost- effective solution. But the investment in these conversational
- bjects makes a big impression on customers and ties the
restaurant to the community. The “art” pieces open lines of communication with guests and give the pizzeria an innately strong personality. One of the most varied arsenals of pizza stands can be found at Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San
- Francisco. Tony Gemignani serves nine regional styles of pizza and has nearly as many ways to serve them.
The wood-fired napoletana pizza is presented on beautiful painted ceramic pedestals. his Detroit-style pie is served in blue steel pans directly from Detroit. But the most striking presentation is his three-foot long Pizza
- romana. Served on a wide wood peel, the pizza takes center stage when placed upon two raised wire
racks.Besides offering tailored presen- tations for each style of pizza, the array of heights, sizes and colors create a fanciful eatable landscape. each pizza evokes a sense of place and honors the way in which it is “supposed to be served.” The first slice is the deepest, especially when that slice is into a deep- dish or stuffed crust pizza. But other menu items, such as calzones, are best brought to the table intact. They can be served with a serrated blade
- r rolling slicer. An operator should determine if the server should slice and serve the pizza for guests. This
usually depends on how messy the process is. in San Francisco, neapolitan-style pizzeria Zero Zero serves its pies on a custom stand that holds three tiers of white ceramic plates. A small nub sticks out, holding a chic little rolling slicer. When they serve their ripieno— a folded, calzone-like pizza — the wait staff carves the football shaped pocket tableside but lets customers selected their own pieces. By leaving the slicer attached to the stand, the table is uncluttered and at the end of the meal customers can split that last piece of pizza evenly. Sometimes, serving the pizza yourself is part of the fun. At happy Joe’s Pizza and ice Cream in St. Louis, manager Tony Arnzen says: “We serve the pizza on a tray and place it on the riser on the table, but we don’t serve the first slice.” The popular taco pizza elicits smiles as customers balance the topping heavy slices on a spatula from pan to
- plate. each self-served slice reveals a little bit more of the logo printed pan. But this doesn’t mean the staff
ends its interaction after the pizza arrives. “i encourage all employees to say “hi, how are you” and to
